Starting device.



W. C. HENDERSON.

STARTING DEVICE,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I0, I916.

Patented Feb. 6, I

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented. Feb. 6, 1917 W. C. HENDERSON.

STARTING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR, 10, 19l6. LQEAQN.

W. C. HENDERSON.

STARTING DEVCE.

:PPLICATION FILED !--AR. :0, 191a.

Patented Feb. (3, 191?.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 WILLIAE. C. HENDERSON, OF PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA.

STARTING DEVICE.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. YVILLIAM C. Hnxonnson. a citizen of the United States, residing .in the city of Paso Robles, in the county of San Luis ()bispo and State of California, have invented a ne and useful Improvement in Starting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to starting devices for internal combustion motors and the like wherein a rotatable element operates in min junction with pistons and a clutch on the crank shalt oi the motor to be started; and the objects of my invention are- First, to provide an improved starting device for internal combustion motors and the like.

Second, to provide an improved rotatable element normally disengaged from the crank shaft of the motor and improved means for rotating and connecting the said element with the crank shaft of the motor simultaneously.

Third, to provide improved means whereby the device may be returned to a normal or starting position after having started the motor.

I accomplish these several objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings, and in which- Figure 1 is a broken plan view of the front portion of a motor vehicle disclosing application of lay improved device.

Fig. is a side elevation of the device as disclosed in F ig. l but removed from the vehicle.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken longitudinal sectional View disclosing the relative arrangement of the pistons when in a normal or starting position.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional Views of the controlling valve in a neutral, starting and return to normal positions, respectivelv.

Fig. is a transverse sectional View taken on line 77 of Fig. 1 of the drawings in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 88 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 is used t0 d8Sl{II13.tG the crank shaft of an internal combustion hotor havihgthe usual Application filed March 10, 1916.

Specification of Letters Iiatent.

sleeve 3 is provided with a clutch portion t adapted to engage the clutch portion 2 of the shaft 1 and also a pulley 6 which is so cured to the outer end thereof.

Upper and lower cylinders 'i and 8 are. used as operating and returning cylinders respectively and are provided with suitable pistons 9 and 11. The cylinders are arranged preferably parallel with the motor crank shaft 1 and are secured to the frame 12 by means of suitable blocks M which also act as cylinder ends.

Each cylinder 7 and S is provided with an extension 16 and 17'terminating in a third block 19 having pulleys 21 rotatably mounted therein.

A suitable ca le 22 is wound several turns around the pulley l3 and has the ends thereof secured to the piston-rods 23 and 2% of the pistons 9 and It respectively. A four way controlling valve. casing 26 is provided with an exhaust port 27. a port 28 connected to a supply or source of compressed air, not shown, and ports '2.) and illwhich lead to the cylinders T and 8 respectively through suitable pipes 40 and 51.

The valve 32 is provided with channels 33 and 3t arranged to connect various ports mentioned. 'lhe valve stem 36 is provided with a. lever. 38 to which is operatively connected a rod 39 which is pivotally connected to a lever -ll mounted upon the'frame of the vehicle whose outer end engages a groove '42 in the sleeve. 3, the purpose of which. will hereinafter be more tully described. v

A rod 43 is also connected to the lever/BS ot' the valve stem 36 and to a short depending arm l-i of a rock shaft i6 rotatably mounted upon the frame or" the vehicle and provided with an operating lever H.

The operation is as follows:

Normally the sleeve 3 and the clutch portion 4 thereof are held away from the end oi the crank. shaft 1.

By moving the lever 47 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 55 of the draw ings, the valve 32 is moved to the position multaneously causes the rod 39 and lever 41 to move the sleeve 3 toward the crank shaft 1 and cause the clutch portion 4 to engage the of the piston 9 and move the said piston toward the opposite end of the cylinder 7.

pulley 6 andthe crankshaft 1.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be observed that the port 31 which connects with what I term return to normal cylinder 8 through the pipe 51, is connected by means of thechannel 34 to the exhaust port 27 so that the piston 11 is free to move within the cylinder 8 as the piston 9 moves in the cylinder 7 in the opposite direction.

In order to return the starting device to a normal or starting position, the lever 47 is moved in the opposite direction which will cause the clutch 4 of the sleeve 3 to be disengaged from the clutch 2 of the crank shaft 1 and simultaneously move the valve to the position indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, where it will be observed that the operating cylinder 7 is connected to the exhaust port 27 by means of the channel 34 while the return to normal cylinder 8 is connected to the sou ce of compressed air port 28 through a channel 33 and the pipe 51.

The compressed air thus entering the return to normal cylinder 8 will move the piston 11 back to a position indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings and through the medium of the cable 22 also move the piston 9 in the operating cy inder 7 to a normal position as disclosed in tie said figure.

The rod is provided with a suitable take up mechanism consisting of the usual collars 52 and the springs 53 arranged on either side of a pin 54 set within the end of the lever 38 of the valve stem 36 in order to insure engagement of the clutch portions 2 and 4 when the valve and other parts of the starting device are in operating position, and also to allow the sleeve 3 to be pushed away from the rotating crank shaft 1, should the said crank shaft pick up suddenly, without jarring the hand of the operator or jerking the lever 4t? out of his hand.

It is obvious from the foregoing that I have provi'dedan improved starting device for internal combustion motors and the like wherein a rotatable element is caused to engage and spin the crank shaft of the motor.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A starting device for internal. combustion motors comprising av sleeve rotatably and slidably mounted in alinement with and adapted to engage the crank shaft of the motor and normally disconnected therefrom; a pulley secured to the sleeve; a pair of cylinders; a pair of pistons slidably mounted within the cylinders; a cable wound around the pulley and having the ends thereof connected to the pistons; a source of compressed air; and means adapted to simultaneously connect the sleeve with This Wlll cause the cable 2:2 to rotate the from; a pulley secured to the sleeve; a pair of cylinders; a pair of pistons slidably mounted within the cylimlcrs; a cable wound around the pulley and having the ends thereof connected to the pistons; a source of compressed air; means adapted to simultaneously connect the sleeve with the crank shaft and the source of compressed air with one of the cylinders and thereby spin said crank shaft; and to disconnect the sleeve from the shaft and to connect the compressed air to the other cylinder and thereby return the starting device to a starting position.

3. A starting device for internal combustion motors comprising a sleeve rotatably and slidably mounted in alinement with and adapted to engage the crank, shaft of the motor and normally disconnected therefrom;

a pulley secured to the sleeve; a pair of cylinders; a pair of pistons slidably mounted within the cylinders; a suitable cable wound on the pulley, and having the ends thereof connected to the pistons; a source of compressed air; a valve arranged to connect either cylinder with the source of compressed air and the other cylinder Withthe atmosphere; a lever operatively connected to the sleeve and adapted to connect and disconnect the same with the crank shaft; and means operatively connected to the valve and to the lever and adapted to operate the same whereby one cylinder may be connected to the compressed air and the other to the atmosphere and the sleeve to the crank shaft thereby rotating the sleeve and spinning the crank shaft, and to disconnect the sleeve from the crank shaft and to operate the valve whereby the first cylinder may be connected to the atmosphere and the second cylinder to the compressed air source thereby returningthe starting device to a norreal or starting position.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my sigrature.

WILLIAM G. HENDERSON. 

